The Sleeper: A Novel

by Christopher Dickey

In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, a former Al Qaeda operative decides to hunt down and strike his former comrades, a campaign that is thwarted when his own family is targeted and operatives stationed in America decide to raise the stakes. 30,000 first printing.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Christopher Dickey is a war correspondent, historian, and thriller writer, an authority on terrorism, and a memoirist. He is the Paris-based foreign editor of The Daily Beast, and is a contributor to NBC/MSNBC News. Chris also has been a frequent commentator on CNN, the BBC, and NPR. He was formerly a bureau chief for Newsweek in Paris and Cairo, and for The Washington Post in Central America and the Middle East.

Reviews

[Bookmarks Magazine]

A new thriller subgenre emerged after 9/11, which both capitalized on the terrorist attacks and tried to make sense of them. The Sleeper, by Newsweek magazine's Paris bureau chief and Middle East editor, belongs to this group. Dickey cites his own "reporting about terrorist organizations, guerrilla wars, and government conspiracies since 1980" as inspiration for the novel's action-packed scenes, which take place from Granada to Guantanamo. Most critics found Sleeper sophisticated, skillfully rendered, and disturbing

[Robert Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brisk, clear, troubling story highlighting the almost insurmountable complexity of contemporary terrorism and counter-terrorism. And the human cost. And the psychological cost to agency "assets."

[Thomas Luong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting story of a man lost in this world. He turned to many different religions to find himself and found what he was searching for back in his home town. Shortly after 9-11 he is called in by the government to track down the possibilities of a second attack. Its a great story of unsung American heroes doing their part everyday and of people who a torn between two worlds and just looking for a purpose in life.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent thriller about al-Qaeda

[Lizanne Whitlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this author, along with David Ignatius.